November 2015 - Rave & Review

Prepare for anything with The Beast from Rayovac

Want to know what can ruin a productive day in mere seconds? The answer is the power going out. When I was a kid, the power going out was kind of fun. It was pretty rare of an occurrence, and I think that added to the excitement of home camping.

But, now that I'm an adult, the power going out is just one big pain after another, as well as being costly for someone that is under deadlines and who has a stocked fridge of food that will go bad without proper cooling.

Even though I like to think that we're prepped for most disasters, that does not mean that it’s fun going without modern conveniences, especially during my work week. And, once the sun goes down and your house is plunged into the kind of dark you almost never experience in a city where you literally cannot see a foot in front of you, the power outage gets old really quick.

So, when a fall storm knocked out our power nearly all day last week, I wasn't a happy blogger or mom. Ask anyone who has ever changed a diaper by candlelight and they will tell you how amazing electricity really is.

Thankfully, I was ready with this little Beast of a flashlight.

Holiday traditions with Hickory Farms

When my husband and I were first married, we received a box full of Hickory Farms treats from the grandparents for our first holiday in our new house. This little box was such a welcome treat with our meager post-wedding funds, and I remember making each night we snacked on the gift box into a party of sorts.

Unwrapping each little food package felt like a mini present, and it turned into a nightly ritual almost like an advent calendar. To this day, it’s one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received because of how fun and unexpected it was. And now, every time I see the Hickory Farms booths pop up in our local malls, I think back to that gift box and smile. Something about seeing the booth in place at the mall now signals to me that the holidays are coming, and immediately I’m in the holiday spirit.

Thankful

Being on social media all day, I feel like there are days where I go down this rabbit hole of drudgery. From sad news posted from friends to horrible national and international conflicts, every day there is something else to feel bad about.

There are days I just sit and cry thinking about things and I'm broken apart thinking of the children with nowhere to sleep, of parents grieving the loss of kids, of people living in fear, and of towns I love in chaos. Then I get sad thinking about the state of the world we will be leaving our children.

This fall has been especially hard for me as I'm in a state of uncertainty. Since 2008 I've been running this site and sharing what gadgets, gear, and places we love. But, most people don't know that through it all, this has mostly been my night gig. My day job has changed throughout the years after I left my corporate job and began to freelance, but I always has something that offered steady income and a soft place to fall.

Looking to buy a new car? 2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winners announced

This post is sponsored by iConnect Influencer Management and Kelley Blue Book. While travel expenses were provided, all opinions remain my own.This past week I've been asked my opinion on what car someone should buy more times than I have in my entire life leading up to this point. This could be in part because friends, family, and readers know that last week I took a quick press trip to Irvine, California to learn all about the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards and got to test drive a fleet of cars that were named as finalists. At this point I should clarify that I had absolutely nothing to do with the actual awards, I just got to meet the team behind the reviews and get a quick rundown of what all goes into their vehicle testing before they announced their winners.

And, I'm pretty sure it’s for the best that no one is relying on me for hard data because I somehow got my teammate, Missi from Life Is Poppin’, horribly lost on the first leg of the journey through Newport Beach. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm pretty good at navigating, so I think this goes to show my attention to detail, or lack thereof.

Finally, you have doctors on your schedule with Amwell. You will never again have to Google symptoms and mom-diagnose or sit in an ER all night. No need to rearrange your schedule to make the only appointment available or waiting weeks without getting seen. And, no piling kids into the car and sitting in traffic, no masks to cover coughs or hand sanitizer to keep healthy kids healthy, and no keeping kids entertained while in the waiting room or in the office before the doctor has time to see you.

Holiday looks from Christopher & Banks

A few years ago, I was shopping with my sisters and we happened upon a Christopher & Banks store. I'd never been in a C&B before, but my sister in law was telling me how she just got some accessories there and we ended up heading inside. Once inside, I was shocked at the selection of clothing I loved.

While there were admittedly parts of the store were cute but more of my mom's style, other areas were full of shirts, pants, dresses and sweaters that appealed not only to me, but also my sister and sister in law who were shopping with me. Since we were shopping for a specific occasion, we sought help from one of the store associates and she helped us find exactly what we were looking for. We each ended up falling in love with quite a few pieces and we left with bags of clothing and accessories.

To anyone who is familiar with Christopher & Banks, this isn’t going to be a surprise. With missy sizes 4 to 16, as well as petite and plus women’s sizing, Christopher & Banks gives you all the sizes under one roof from 4P – 24W. Their selection of great mix & match clothing as well as statement pieces gives you tons of options for work, play, and events.

Keep an eye on what matters most with the Samsung SmartCam HD

Do you ever wish you could see inside your home when you’re not in it? Or maybe you wish you could see upstairs in your house while hanging out downstairs? If so, you should definitely check out Samsung’s newest smart home solution, the SmartCam HD Pro.

Designed for the security conscious as well as those who need to check on kids, pets, businesses, or deliveries from afar, the Samsung SmartCam HD Pro is as versatile as they get. A 1080p Full HD camera that can be linked to your smartphone wirelessly through the Samsung app, the SmartCam allows you to see everything in striking clarity, remotely.

10 insider tips for Beaches Resort Villages & Spa Turks & Caicos with small children

After visiting Beaches Turks & Caicos two years in a row with little kids, we like to consider ourselves experts of sorts. The first year we were just figuring out the ropes and crossing our fingers that we fit everything in that we were hoping to do, but this second year, we went in with a plan of attack and made it happen. While I could go on and on about all the things you can see and do with kids at Beaches Turks & Caicos, this list is just a starting point.

Here are just some of our tips for how to make the most of the trip with young kids:

Fall Glamping fun with the family

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FallGlamping #Glamping #CollectiveBias My husband and my kids love everything about camping and would do it every weekend if they could. I, on the other hand, love almost everything about not camping. Luxuries like beds, refrigeration, and running water are pretty high up on my lists of must-haves for weekend fun and I prefer to give them up only in moderation.

This is how we became glampers, or people that camp glamorously by pairing camping and luxury. The family loves being one with nature, and I love them, so glamping together suits us all.
My camping journey started with the purchase of a Weekender camper van that appealed to my bed and icebox-loving self. But while it’s great because it gets us out camping as a family, it isn’t exactly glamorous. Yet.

We’re still working on getting my must-have list fully met by making additions to our van that add luxury without taking up precious space. So, for now we found camping buddies in my in-laws who supply the running water and a large refrigerator and who just so happen to not mind our littlest campers taking over their living space.

Kelley Blue Book Ride-N-Drive event

This post is sponsored by iConnect Influencer Management and Kelley Blue Book. While travel expenses were provided, all opinions remain my own. Do you love cars as much as we do? If so, you're going to want to be following us on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #KBBBestBuy and #KBBConnect this week. … Read more

Month: November 2015